Ball-catcher s mitten



(No Model.)

JQ W. SAER. BALL GATGHBWS MITTEN.

Patent-,ed Aug. 12,1890.

Tua NcnmsfPm-Ens cof, muro-uws., msnmaon, nv. c.

i UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W'. SAUER, OF MILVAUKEE, VISCONSIN.

BALL-CATCH ERS M ITTEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,120, dated August 12, 1890.

Application filed February 24, 1890. Serial No. 341,507. (No model.)

To all whom it 'may concern: p

Be it known that I, J osErH W. BAUER, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, have invented new andv useful Improvements in Ball-Catchers Mittens; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact` description of said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements-in ball-catchers mittens g and it pertains more especially, iirst, to the air space or cushion provided for protecting the fingers and palm of the hand, in addition to the padding ordinarily used, to break the shock orimpact of a ball when being caught; second, to the continuous roll or elevation formed of solidlycompressed padding around the fingers and thumb of the mitten, whereby a hollow space or depression is formed which facilitates the catcher in retaining the ball, and, third, to the manner of connecting'together the finger and thumb spaces of the mitten within 'a single inclosure, whereby they together co-operate in strengthening and supporting each other against the impact of the ball.

The construction of my improved mitten is further explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 represents a front View of the mitten. Fig. 2 is a rear View, or a view showing that part of the mitten at the back of a persons hand. Fig. 3 is a section drawn on line 3 3 of Fig. l, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. l.

Like parts are represented by the same reference-letters throughout the several views.

A represents the finger-space of the mitten, which is subdivided into separate compart ments B B B for the fingers by the partitions C C C, which partitions C are stitched to the surrounding fabric, forming said inclosure at their respective upper and lower edges. The

'thumb-space is located between the ends of a folded or U-shaped roll E, the extreme upper end of which is shown at F in Fig. 3. The

COD]- paratively solid bearing around the margin of the hand and upon the respective sides of the thumb, which bearings not only form a concave space or receptacle for the ball and facilitate the catcher in retaining the saine in his hands, but as the rolls are considerably thicker than the finger and thumb spaces and projectforwardly beyond the front of the finger-spaces they also serve as a marginal support from which the covering I-I is sus-l.

pended as it is drawn taut, or nearly so, from the inner edges a a of said rolls G and E, whereby an air-space I is formed between the covering H and the lining J. The covering H, as shown in Fig. 1, is formed of a single piece of buckskin or other similar material which covers the entire palm of the hand, the fingers, and the thumb, and is carried rearwardly over the edge of the *mitten and stitched at h to the rear covering K, as shown in Fig. 2.

I preferably insert a piece of sheep-skin L, tanned with the wool thereon, between the surfaceH and the lining J, which sheep-skin is folded so as to bring the skin together at the center and the wool upon the two exterior surfaces above and below, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which folded sheep-skin serves, in addition to the air-cushion described, to resist the shock of the ball as it is being brought in contact with the mitten.

The roll G, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is formed in one continuous piece, which extends from near the end of the thumb around the ends of the fingers and back on the opposite edge of the mitten to or near the wrist. Thus it is obvious that this roll or elevation, taken in connection with the rolls E, formed around the thumb, forms a pocket or deep concave surface, which greatly facilitates the catcher in holding the ball, while such rolls, connected together, as they are, -entirely around the hand and thumb from one'side of the wrist to the other, serve to greatly support the catchers hand and fingers and relieve them of the intense strain to which they are otherwise subjected by contact with a rapidly-thrown ball.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a ball-catchers mitten, the combina- IOO tion, with a stuffed roll curved and arranged in the mitten at the sides and ends of the fingers, of a coverover the palm of the hand and over the front of the fingers, formed of a single piece of leather which at the sides and end is stretched over and passes around the roll to the rear and is 'there secured to another portion of the cover, substantially as described.

2. In a ball-catchers mitten, the combination,with a stuffed roll curved aroundthe sides and end of the finger-space and another roll curved around the sides and end of the thumb-space, of a Vcover for the mitten, one portion of which is formed of a single piece of leather covering the palm, the fingers, and the thumb of the hand in front and passing around the rolls aforesaid to the rear thereof and there secured to another portion of the cover, substantially as described.

3. In a ball-catchers mitten, stuffed rolls arranged Within the cover around the sides and ends of the fingers and thumb, which rolls project forwardly beyond the front of the fingers, -in combination with a cover stretched over the rolls in front of the fingers and palm of the hand, forming an air space or chamber in front of the finger-space and between the rolls, stubstantially as described.

4. In a ball-catchers mitten, the combination, with a finger and hand embracing roll, of a cover secured tightly over the roll, a finger-space arranged between the sides of the roll, and a padding located between the sides of the roll in front of the finger-space and within the front part of the cover of the mitten, substantially as described.

5. In a ball-catchers mitten, the combination, with a finger and hand embracing roll thicker than the hand and projecting forwardly beyond the front of the fingers and hand, of a cover secured tightly over the roll, a finger-space formed between the sides of the roll, a padding in front of the fingerspace, and an air space or chamber in front of the padding, the finger-space, the padding, and air-space all being within the enveloping cover, substantially as described.

6. In a ball-catchers mitten havinga finger-space and a thumb-space separated from the finger-space by an interior partition, an inclosing front cover formed of a single piece of leather over the palm of the hand, over the fingers, and over the thumb, so constructed and secured to the mitten as to cover the palm, the fingers, and the thumb without any exterior separation at the front between them, substantially as described.

7. In a ball-catchers mitten having a finger and hand space, and a thumb-space lseparated by an interior partition, a cover of the mitten inclosing both the finger and hand space and the thumb-space, the cover over the two spaces being united along the sides and at the end of the thumb, whereby the thumb is supported in position relative to the fingers and the hand,4 substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. JOSEPH W. SAUER. Witnesses:

JAs. B. ERWIN, ANNA FAUST. 

